WWE WrestleMania XIX

"It's Wrestlemania baby! Does it live up?"

If you know me then you will obviously know how much I love wrestling. I've got almost every wrestling game of all time and always try to get news one on the first day. Wrestlemania XIX does live up to the hype-to a certain extent of course. It is not as great as they said it would be, but still enjoyable to play.

It's not perfect; but it's a good improvement from WWE Wrestlemania X8, not counting the season mode though. The gimmick matches in this game are all amazing. You can jump off ladders in a Ladder Match, put people threw tables in a Table Match, or combine them both(including a 20-Foot ladder) and have a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match! There is also the famous Steel Cage and Hell In A Cell matches inside large cages. And don't forget the 60-Minute Iron Man Match which the winner is the one with the most pinfalls, submissions, and disqualifications.

Now for the one player mode. It is as I would like to say ''original'', but not very good. Stephanie McMahon hires you to beat up Construction Men and Referees. Sounds cheesy? Oh yes it is. It may be fun for a few minutes, but it gets boring rather quickly. One of the low points of the game.

There are many wrestlers to choose from ranging from top wrestlers like Stone Cold, The Rock, and Hulk Hogan all the way to the likes of Batista and Al Snow!

The gameplay is not too easy nor too hard depending on what level of difficulty you choose in the options menu. It is a good grapple system, almost exactly the same as that of Wrestlemania X8. It's not a bad game, just not as good as Raw 2. The A Button for grappling, B Button for striking, X and A Buttons to pick up weapons and stuff, the Y Button to run, and the Control Stick to run. It may be a bit unusual at first, but after awhile you get used to the new controls.

Now for the graphics and sound. The entrances and design of the ring are simply amazing, a huge improvement. Also, the entrance musics aren't all techno-ish. As for the sound, it's just as good as any other GameCube game except if you have a very old TV from the 1970s or so.

The CAW(Create-A-Wrestler) feature is also quite good but could have been better(well, it probably will be improved for Wrestlemania XX heh), but oh well. Maybe a few more additions and features here and there. There is also not too many different t-shirts and pants to choose from. Major points off here, THQ and Jakked Pacific. Not terrible though, just not as good as some of the past games.

As for replayability, I think that there's a lot just like in any wrestling game for MULTIPLAYER ONLY. Single player is is hardly any replayability, as simply put; the one-player mode sucks and lack a lot. On the contrary, there is a lot to do if you want to play multiplayer with you and your friends, family, neighbours, etc. You can have big Royal Rumbles or belt tournaments with your buddies and friends, you can try to get every single hidden wrestler, win all titles, play all sorts of kinds of gimmick matches against the computer or a human player/players, etc. You'll never get bored of this game. And when the time comes that you do, put it away and after a few weeks or months you'll end up loving it again!

As for to buy or rent, I suggest that you rent this game first as I say that some people love this game, and some people don't. You either love it or hate it! I bought it knowing that, and I like it, but don't love it. So I guess it's all about personal preference, just like WWE Raw 2 for X-Box. Rent it at your local Blockbuster or other video game retailer, and if you like it then definitely buy it! If you're a big wrestling fan like me, you'll probably at least enjoy this game for awhile.

Pros:
-Good Graphics for GameCube
-Lots of Types of Matches
-Recent and more quantity wrestlers

Cons:
-Still not perfect
-CAW System isn't too good
-One-Player Mode Lacks ''Fun-ness''

Overall: 7/10 Honestly, I have to say it is a mediocre game that could have been a touch better if they had worked harder. A better one-player and a better CAW system in the sequel would make this game perfect. I'm guessing that there will be a sequel next year, entitled Wrestlemania XX. They better shape up by then, or else I along with many others won't be too happy. This game wasn't a total failure, as it still has lots of fun things to do, mostly for multiplayer. Anyways, peace out, I'm out of here.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 09/22/03